CONTROLS Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

controls 1 of 2

noun

Definition of controls next

plural of control

as in controllers

a mechanism for adjusting the operation of a device, machine, or system the controls for the player are well marked

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as in hands

the ability to direct the course of something after the tail fell off, the plane went out of the pilot's control firefighters keeping control of the blaze

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as in operations

the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something control of manufacturing operations was given to a new manager with fresh ideas

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as in powers

the right or means to command or control others teachers are responsible for the students under their control

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controls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of control

as in regulates

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper

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as in contains

to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks

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as in rules

to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life

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as in operates

to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of controls

Noun

That strategy also reflects the relative smaller pockets of Chinese AI firms and constraints in accessing cutting-edge chips under Washington’s export controls. —

John Liu, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026 Passed as part of the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, the federal government is now instituting strict price controls on prescription drugs accessed through Medicare. —

Elaine Parker, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026 Erin Walsh registered seven goals, an assist and 12 draw controls as Hull (7-2) defeated East Bridgewater 19-8 in the South Shore League. —

Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Chinese developers have been restricted from directly purchasing Nvidia's most advanced AI chips due to Washington's ever-shifting export controls. —

Dylan Butts, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026 Ironically, these export controls may have helped Chinese AI startups, including DeepSeek, learn how to operate in a world of scarce processing power. —

Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026 NextGen also allows broadcasters to encrypt channels with DRM content controls; NextGen-compatible sets don’t have issues with that, but some add-on tuners do. —

Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026 No logs were available for time controls on potentially hazardous foods at the front self-service area. —

Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026 North of the Reservation boundary – Traffic will remain open with traffic controls in place and intermittent delays may occur. —

Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026

Verb

Stadiums are notorious for their lack of multiplier impact, which is one reason these days why sports team owners, such as the McCaskey family that controls the Bears, have such a hard time hoodwinking governments into giving them direct subsidies to build their stadiums. —

David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026 The divisions underscore the West’s challenges in combating China; following decades of building up its supply chains, Beijing now controls 90% of global processing. —

Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026 The Mexican Mafia, described as the largest and most powerful gang operating from inside state prisons, controls gangs throughout Southern California. —

Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026 Treasury officials simultaneously imposed sanctions on Cambodian Senator Kok An, who allegedly controls a network of compounds in his country, targeting Americans with digital asset scams. —

Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2026 The Mexican Mafia was started in the 1950s at a juvenile jail and grew to an international criminal organization that controls smuggling, drug sales and extortion from inside California’s penal system. —

ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026 The Social Democratic party, which controls most seats in parliament, withdrew its government ministers on Thursday after Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan refused its ultimatum to resign. —

Andra Timu, Bloomberg, 23 Apr. 2026 One is called cervical dystonia with torticollis, which basically is in the part of my brain that controls movement. —

Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026 For years, many Hungarian journalists have, privately at least, expressed exasperation with the state controls on their work. —

Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for controls

Noun

The faster real-time data updates will give controllers more time to pay attention to planes, according to the FAA.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
Human operators control robots remotely—often via VR or master controllers—while recording detailed multimodal data such as joint motion, force, and vision.

— Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026